Listless
by ElysianWishes
Summary: Ichigo's been feeling down lately and for the life of him, he cant figure out why. Zangetsu and his Hollow have had enough and step in, but do they make it better or worse?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me**

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Rain rain rain. He was fucking tired of all the damn rain!

"Oi! Old man! Do something 'bout this before I do!" Zangetsu glanced at him, dripping wet, before staring up at the thunderous sky.

"Feel free." He blinked at the unexpected answer before grinning. He was going to have fun with this.

XxXXXXxXXXXxxXXXX

Ichigo was lying on his back by the river, just staring at the sky. He felt so…bored. He wasn't sure what was wrong; he was fighting hollows like normal, going to school, hanging out with his friends, but he felt stagnated.

Maybe it was because Rukia was called back to the Soul Society. Now that he thought about it, that was when this listlessness had started…but did he really miss Rukia that much?

No, that didn't make sense. It'd only been a week since she left and they'd been apart for much longer. Ichigo watched the clouds float by as if they had the answers he was looking for. He sighed. He just couldn't figure it out. Ishida probably could, but Ichigo hadn't told any of his friends and he didn't plan on telling them either. He felt like if they didn't realize how off he was on their own then he wasn't going to tell them. Not to mention how uncomfortable it would be to explain just how apathetic he was and listening to them analyze his life.

He turned his gaze to a passing butterfly, watching it land on a flower before taking off again, when the world began to fade. His vision dimmed and he could feel his consciousness slipping away. He didn't fight it though, what was the point?

When Ichigo opened his eyes, they were yellow on black. A chuckle escaped from his lips, gaining intensity until it was truly frightening

"Feelin a bit down are ya King? Dontcha worry, I'll fix tha for ya!" That manic grin was pasted on his face as Hollow-Ichigo walked home.

Rather than walking through the door and having to deal with the idiot family, he jumped up and came in through the window.

He looked around and spotted his target; his King's Substitute Shinigami Badge. He shook his head at his idiot King's behavior; how could he forget something so important? Seconds later, he was standing in full Shinigami gear, Zangetsu on his back.

He grinned down at Ichigo's body.

"Let's have some fun, eh King?

XxXxXXXXXXXXxxXx

Ichigo opened his eyes to find himself in his inner world. And it was raining. The water pelting his face felt like little rocks instead of water, and while it hadn't flooded yet it looked like a distinct possibility.

"Old man! Zangetsu, where are you?" Ichigo screamed to be heard over the rain.

"I'm here Ichigo." The answer came from behind him and he whirled around so fast, his wet hair smacked against his cheek.

"Zangetsu, why am I here?" He yelled. Zangetsu only gave him a look and tilted his face towards the sky.

"Why is it raining Ichigo?"

"I don't know!" Zangetsu walked forward, closer to Ichigo, his eyes focused on the young mans face.

"Why is it raining Ichigo?" He said it with more force and it only served to frustrate Ichigo because he didn't _know_ why it was raining dammit!

"I don't know I said! If I knew I would make it stop!"

"Then do you want me to tell you?" Zangetsu replied. He didn't bother to wait for an answer. "You're lonely."

"Wha-? Lonely? Don't joke like that Zangetsu! Why would I be lonely all of a sudden?" His words were hollow however, full of denial and nothing else. The rain fell harder. His shoulders slumped and he looked away as he asked, "But why now? Nothing has changed except-is it because of Rukia?"

Zangetsu nodded.

"It is. But not for the reasons you are thinking. Ichigo," he grabbed Ichigo's chin and lifted his face to see sad brown eyes, "I hate the rain." Zangetsu threw him off the building and as he fell Ichigo heard his words echo.

_Make it stop._

_XxXxXXxXxxXxxXxXx_

Unlike his slow entrance to his inner world, his exit was abrupt. He felt his consciousness snap back into place just as his sensed flared. When his eyelids flickered open, he found himself staring down into the gray eyes of Byakuya Kuchiki.

"What, Byakuya? What are you doing here?" Ichigo blinked down at the captain, taking in his slightly flushed face and twitching eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

He received a glare for his concern. "Kurosaki…where exactly do you think you are right now?"

Ichigo looked around, finally noticing the ruined landscape and the various spiritual pressures, both familiar and foreign and realized he was in the Soul Society. He looked down again to question Byakuya and froze when he realized that he had to look _down_.

He shot up and fell on his ass in his haste to get away. He stared at Byakuya and felt his face burn. The usually emotionless captain was laying on the ground with his clothes in tatters and a scowl on his face.

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_A/N: OK this is my first time writing slash so I dont know how well I pulled it off. The second chapter is mostly written and should be updated soon. Please review! Seriously, I love reviews!_


	2. Chapter 2

Hollow-Ichigo opened a gate to the Soul Society and rushed through the Precipice World, only one thing on his mind. As he emerged in Soul Society he turned his attention to finding his target. Some pipsqueaks were squealing, demanding to know who he was and why he was there and he knocked them out with a quick punch each. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the specific reiatsu he was looking for. His eyes snapped open as he latched onto it.

"Byakuya Kuchiki! Here I come."

He shunpoed towards the Sixth Squads Captain and found him in his office. He scoffed; of course that tight-ass was working.

The Hollow perched on a branch just outside the building and watched him through the window. He bottled up his reiatsu to keep from being noticed and briefly wondered if he should teach Ichigo how to do that. He snorted and figured it was more fun if he didn't.

He brought his attention back to the office in front of him. Byakuya was talking to some female. He didn't know who it was but he definitely recognized the look in her eyes as she handed something to him. A deep anger bit at him and he glared at her, deciding to make his entrance before she tried something.

The Hollow pushed off the branch and threw himself into the room, landing gracefully in front of the large oak desk Byakuya was using and behind the female Shinigami. He grinned as the woman screamed and reached for her sword before swiftly knocking her out. She collapsed at his feet and he felt the urge to kick her. He was about to too when Byakuya stood up.

He turned his attention to the emotionless captain, completely disregarding the body on the floor.

"Yo Byakuya. Remember me?" He grinned at the suspicious glare he received.

"What is the meaning of this Kurosaki?"

The Hollow's grin widened and he stepped forward, reaching back for Zangetsu.

"I jus thought I'd drop by, ya know, say hello, make my respects and all that shit." He'd wrapped the bandages on Zangetsu's hilt around his right arm as he spoke and at that moment he lifted it and _threw_. Zangetsu went rocketing towards Byakuya and stopped a foot away from him. A mass of petal-blades were blocking its path, others floating around the room. Rather than being discouraged, far from it, Hollow-Ichigo cackled and pulled Zangetsu back to his hand by the bandages around the hilt. "How 'bout it? Ya wanna rematch Byakuya?"

Said man narrowed his eyes. "You will cease referring to me in such an informal manner Hollow."

"Oh? So you figured it out eh?" He scoffed, "Sure took ya long enough...I thought you were supposed ta be _smart_." The petal blades twirling harmlessly around them became violent. He sprang into a crouch and brought Zangetsu up, but rather than attacking en masse, the bastard sent them out one by one.

It looked like Byakuya had improved their speed; the petals were faster than in their last battle and he was only using his shikai this time. He struggled to deflect them all but many streaked through his defense, cutting his skin and tearing his uniform. The cuts were superficial though and when he glanced back at Byakuya he realized he was being toyed with.

The Hollow felt anger and humiliation boil under his skin and he'd had enough. He lashed out with his reiatsu, gathering it around him and shoving it out so that the force of it blew Byakuya's girly pink petals away.

"Yer gonna pay for that ya freakin' dickhole!" He shoved his reiatsu out as he screamed and the strength of it turned the room into a shit-storm. The amused glint that had been in Byakuya's eyes was replaced by anger and the Hollow felt satisfaction curl in his belly.

"For a _Hollow_ to act so disrespectfully to me is shameful. You will learn your place." The Hollow squinted at Byakuya, his knuckles turning white around Zangetsu's hilt.

"An where exactly is my place?" He bit out.

Byakuya shot him a look that said 'are you so stupid you don't even know that?' and the Hollow ground his teeth together. "Your place is on a leash and collar; you cannot be trusted to roam freely." Byakuya scrutinized the Hollow in control of Kurosaki's body. "And clearly your master has been remiss in his discipli-"

Hollow or not, he'd had enough of the Shinigami's condescension and Hollow-Ichigo slammed in to Byakuya, catching him by surprise in the abdomen. He flung him out the window and followed after him.

If he had to deal with this dick he was going to teach him a lesson first, the asshole.

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_A/N: Mkay this is now the second chapter. Its shorter than I wanted but oh well I guess. I actually have a plan for this story now so there should be a couple more chapters until I'm done. Please review! Seriously, they make my day and make me want to write more!_

_To** froupin**: Your review made me giggle for so long! And gave me an idea, so the next chapter will be inspired by you! ;D_


	3. Chapter 3

Byakuya glanced back to make sure Kurosaki's hollow was following him, before making a hard right through some branches, and landing in a clearing.

He'd been running for the last ten minutes, leading it well away from anyone or anything it could damage.

Now that they were isolated at the outer edges of the city and in the middle of a forest, he could crush that insolent hollow. Byakuya unsheathed his sword as he watched it land and take its own sword in hand.

He scrutinized the hollow and yellow eyes glowered back at him. As he concentrated past the hollow's taint, Byakuya determined that it was, indeed, Ichigo Kurosaki's reiatsu that was emanating from the body in front of him. It appeared that his inner hollow had simply taken control of Kurosaki's body again. Its control seemed stable and unlikely to weaken, leading Byakuya to wonder what the hell had happened to the teenager. He adjusted his grip on Senbonzakura.

He would have to be careful not to get carried away and kill Kurosaki.

XxXXXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxxXX

Hollow-Ichigo scowled at Byakuya's back, wondering where the hell he was being led and why he didn't just attack the stuck-up asshole already.

He'd just about had enough of running and was about to strike the Shinigami down when Byakuya suddenly turned and disappeared behind some trees. He glared and followed.

They landed in a large clearing, facing each other. The raven-haired Captain already had his sword in hand and he reached back for Zangetsu. He waited. He saw Byakuya give him a once-over, like you would a barking mutt to determine whether or not it would bite.

A muscle jumped in his jaw as he ground his teeth._ Well **this** mutt bites!_

The shinigami was mocking him, he could_ feel_ it. First, the man actually touches that female he'd knocked out, then he underestimates and insults him and then he leads him around like a dog and proceeds to evaluate him like a piece of meat at the market! Well the Hollow was fed up with him. He could feel his anger and jealousy coalesce into something dark inside him, clamoring for a way out.

He was going to beat the Shinigami to a freakin' pulp and then he was going to humiliate him till he begged to die!

His rage had destroyed any rational thought and he threw a Getsuga Tensho at the self-righteous asshole. It sped towards Byakuya who simply got out of its way.

_Oh no you dont!_

The Hollow appeared behind him and brought his zanpakuto down, almost cleaving the Shinigami's head off. The bastard was fast though, and Byakuya dodged without a scratch. He finally released his zanpakuto, the petal-blades floating around them once more.

"So eager to fight...do you wish to lose that badly?" The Hollow opened his mouth to scream an answer but was cut off as a beam of light raced towards his face. He scowled and cut it off with his zanpakuto only for a mass of petal blades to swarm him.

He deflected most of them, but as before, some got through his defense, and unlike before, they did as much damage as they could. His skin was littered with lacerations and blood and he gathered strength for another Getsuga Tensho, when he felt fingers at his back shoulder.

"Hado #4. Byakurai."

The Hollow didn't turn around in time and the lighting tore a hole through his shoulder in a way that was reminiscent of their first meeting. Pain flared in his shoulder as blood sprung from the wound. Even so, he started laughing. A loud, hysterical sound that echoed in the silent clearing.

"Tha' was sneaky of ya, dont'cha think? What happened ta tall, and mighty, and honorable eh?" He bared his teeth. "Are ya too scared ta face me head on?"

"Certainly not."

The Hollow didn't respond, instead he brought his zanpakuto up. "Ban-kai!"

His reiatsu exploded around him, hiding him behind a dense red-black cloud. The the force caued the dust and rocks to blow away from him and caused the surrounding trees to bend.

Byakuya had little time to react because the Hollow attacked before its reiatsu faded out of sight. Its speed had increased dramatically and it brought the zanpakuto down again and again, without a pause at his blade fragments, getting closer and closer. It was too difficult to keep him back with his shikai so he had the petal-blades manifest into a single blade again.

The crazed hollow wasted no time in moving the fight to Byakuya himself. He attacked with the same sort of single-minded brutality as before, striking with power and speed. Byakuya tried to distance himself a little and change the pace of the battle but the damned hollow simply followed him! He attacked too quickly for him to use kido and with enough power that he could not spare an arm anyway.

Byakuya scowled, frustrated. The Hollow seemed to notice and cackled. "What's the matter? Aren't ya havin' fun?" He swung down again and the shinigami brought his zanpakuto up to stop it. They remained in that position, one trying to overpower the other when the hollow grinned again. Byakuya realized what that meant and started to dart away just enough to not get caught directly by the Getsuga-Tensho.

The area behind him however, was demolished, leaving behind a giant hole in the ground. Byakuya panted, and glanced at his exposed left arm. The sleeve had disintegrated in the attack so he could see the damage to his limb. It was severely bruised, broken in at least two places, with cuts littering it.

Clearly he could not continue to hold back as he'd thought. Unohana would just have to heal Kurosaki or that girl of his could restore him if there was not enough to heal; she had done it before.

He let his reiatsu gather around his arm to speed up the healing process as he straightened and dropped his zanpakuto. "Scatter, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

His own Bankai surrounded them, gigantic blades rising up before dispersing into thousands of smaller blade fragments. He immediately set them on the Hollow as he focused on healing his arm to a manageable degree. He could sense the thing trying to get closer to him but his Senbonzakura would not let it through.

He flexed the muscles in his left hand and determined that it had healed enough to be useful. He had some of the pieces gather into a single blade in his hand as the others continued to block the Hollow. He darted towards it with his blade, moving the smaller fragments keeping it occupied out of the way at the last second. He was able to catch it by surprise, slashing its chest.

Blood spurted out and landed on his cheek as the Hollow howled in pain.

"Bakudo #63. Sajo Sabaku."

Thick chains wrapped around the Hollow, restraining him. Byakuya pointed his injured hand at him and the Hollow had the gall to smirk at him.

"Chains, eh? Who knew you were so kinky?" Byakuya shot him a murderous look.

"Hado #33. Sokatsui." A torrent of blue flame hit Hollow-Ichigo head on, creating a massive shock-wave at the collision. When he could see again, Byakuya saw the Hollow heaving, his uniform torn and burned, but he was upright and the bakudo was gone. He was also wearing that infernal mask.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That wasnt very nice of ya now was it?" It swung its zanpakuto around in its hand. "Poor Ichigo, no wonder he'd been so," it paused to smirk at him, "out of it."

Byakuya tensed. "What are you blathering about?" he demanded.

The Hollow chuckled. "Didnt'cha wonder why I'm in control an' there's no flicker or anything of Ichigo?"

Byakuya waited for it to continue, not moving at all. The Hollow examined his face carefully before speaking in its thick, distorted voice.

"Not even a little concerned, eh? He might as well die for all that you care, is that it?" It had descended to screaming again, but its words are what gave him pause. From what it was saying...it seemed to be implying that this was his fault. Byakuya didn't know how that could be possible, he hadn't even seen Kurosaki in months. Before he had a chance to demand answers the Hollow attacked him again.

His blade fragments blocked it immediately but it burst through with a Getsuga Tensho. And they were in the same position as before, their swords locked together. This time however, Byakuya had his blade fragments merge behind the Hollow and had it aimed at its back as the Hollow used another Getsuga Tensho.

His petal-blades protected him from most of the attack and he looked past them to see the Hollow...who wasn't there. He searched around him, using all his senses. He couldn't have gone far, he knew his zanpakuto had connected with its target before the blast. Blood dripped from his fingers, his left shoulder once again injured, though not as severely.

His eyes widened as he finally sensed his opponent above him. He looked up in time to see manic yellow eyes bore into him as the Hollow used its momentum to bring them crashing to the ground. A crater formed with them at the center as Byakuya struggled to breathe. Luckily he still had a blade in his hands at the time and had managed to disperse it to form a cushion at his back.

His clothing was likely torn to pieces but he didn't seem to have broken anything. He focused on the Hollow above him,and had his blade fragments rushing to remove it from his body when it brought its sword down into his right arm.

He screamed at the sudden pain and his Bankai dissipated. "Uh-uh, lets not bring your petals into this shall we?"

Byakuya tried to focus on his reiatsu but the pain in his arm was spreading to the rest of his body, making it impossible to think. "W-What have you, d-done to me?" he panted out.

It removed its mask to reveal a shark-toothed grin. "I had my reiryoku gather at the edge of my zanpakuto before I stabbed ya." It leaned forward and twisted the zanpakuto in his arm. Byakuya cried out at the new wave of pain and saw its face twist into a smile. "It's now spreading through your body, makin' ya weaker."

Byakuya's eyes widened. Foreign reiryoku inside his body was dangerous enough, but a hollow's to boot? No wonder it hurt so much. He could barely move his body anymore, it felt so heavy. Anger made him grit his teeth to stop panting and glare daggers at the Hollow on top of him.

"Remove yourself from my person," he bit out. The Hollow blinked and actually threw its head back and laughed at him. He felt shame take root at his helplessness and he struggled to move his unresponsive body.

"Now, now, little Captain," it mocked, "there's no need ta struggle, I wont hurt ya," it smirked, the blasted thing! "much anyway."

It shifted above him, getting into a more comfortable position, as if he was a piece of furniture, and Byakuya froze. His eyes widened and his breathing stopped. His mind went blank except for one thought.

_The damn hollow was hard._

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_A/N: Ok this is much longer than I thought it would be! I also ignored my schoolwork to write it which is definitely going to bite me in the butt later. Anyway, I dont think I do action scenes well, but I tried! Please keep reviewing, the ones I read made me smile like a loon and keep writing! _

_froupin: So, at first it was just going to be the former of your predictions, but then I thought, **why not do both**? Lol, so next chapter is more of the latter. Thanks for the idea (I now have something of a plot :D)!_


	4. Chapter 4

**OK so a little warning. There's a bit of non-consensual groping here (not really graphic at all) and in case you have any problems with that, I would suggest you skip down to the last few sentences. Otherwise, enjoy.**

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Byakuya wasn't sure what to feel beyond shock, and then the body above him moved, and he felt disgust claw at his throat. He saw it smirk at him, (was it happy that he was disgusted?) and it was definitely an _it_, not a he, no matter how much it looked like Kurosaki, it was an animal not a person.

Byakuya tried to swallow, but his was mouth was so dry he felt like he was trying to swallow his tongue.

"Get off of me," he said in a quiet but steady voice.

"Nah, I dont think I will," it laughed. And wasn't that a blow to his pride? Its hand was approaching his face and Byakuya couldn't hold back a flinch. "What's the matter? Ya scared?"

In any other situation the words would be innocuous. As it was, the Hollow was toying with him, and greatly enjoying it by the look on its face.

"What happened ta the high and mighty Head of the Kuchiki Clan?" It leaned towards him and Byakuya refused to back down and look away, so that they were nose to nose and all he could see was yellow and black. Then suddenly he felt something wet and warm on his cheek, _and the Hollow was licking him!_

He moved his head to the side to try to dislodge that tongue but it just latched onto his throat instead. "Ya taste good," it mumbled against his neck.

Byakuya did not know how to react. He could barely move, so fighting it off was out of the question. Demands made it laugh and flinching made it touch him more. How was he supposed to get out of this situation? Surely the other Captains had sensed their battle by now? Though it stung his pride that he needed their help, he concluded that they were his only chance. Perhaps if he just delayed it?

...

And how was he supposed to do that exactly?

He was jarred out of his thoughts as teeth sunk into his neck and he breathed in sharply.

"None of that now, pay attention _here_."

And now, apparently, disassociating made it react more violently. Lying back and taking it wasn't his style anyway, but then what else could he do?

_Oh God. _His eyes fluttered shut in resignation.

He had to play along. The idea left a sour taste in his mouth, like eating a raw, rotted lemon. If he could delay it though, by talking and playing along, then he could escape this with his...virtue intact and spare Kurosaki the crippling guilt.

The Hollow licked a cut on his lower jaw, and Byakuya shuddered. It seemed to take this as a good sign and continued with the licking.

Okay, he was going to slaughter whatever it was that caused Kurosaki to lose control so completely.

The yellow-eyed being growled and bit his chin before scowling at him. Byakuya purposefully cocked an eyebrow at it, displaying an arrogance he no longer felt. "Yes?" he asked.

"Quit yer daydreamin' already!"

"I am not daydreaming, I am simply thinking."

"Oh yeah, about what?" It asked skeptically. Byakuya took a deep breath and swallowed his pride as his stomach churned violently.

"You."

It stared at him, taken aback and he felt his pride curdle and sour in his stomach as he waited for its response. To his surprise it sat back on its heels and peered down at him. Byakuya held its gaze and waited, though his heart was hammering away in his chest. The thought sickened him, but perhaps it only wanted an unwilling partner and would stop if he showed interest?

"Yer playing me," came the voice overhead and he couldn't decide whether it was amused or angry. Before he had a chance to react it. pounced and attached its lips to his own. _Well,_ he thought wildly,_ it seems to prefer a willing partner, pretending or not_. It was the most violent kiss he had ever experienced, all teeth and tongue and force. Saliva dribbled down his chin and he tasted blood.

He was panting heavily when the beast finally released his mouth and moved to attack his neck. He lifted his right arm, the one without a blade in it, and tried to push it off him. He succeeded in moving his limb, shaky though it was, but only managed one feeble push before it collapsed on the ground.

"S-Stop that!" he spat, frustrated.

"Why should I?" He felt more than heard it speak into his neck.

"Because I sai-AAH!" His words broke off in a strangled cry as the Hollow palmed his groin.

"What have we got here?" it smirked. Byakuya hadn't realized that he'd grown hard as well, couldn't fathom how it was even possible and yet the proof was right there, sitting between his legs. The hand there started moving, rubbing against his erection, and he stifled a moan at the feeling. It had been a long time since he'd had anyone.

The hand squeezed his member and his back arched as a low groan escaped his lips. He fell on the ground gasping for breath.

The distorted chuckle above him was like a bucket of ice water to his libido. It snapped him out of his pleasure filled stupor and he...he felt ashamed. Ashamed that he was reduced to a writhing mess because of a Hollow. Ashamed that he could feel pleasure when there was still a sword in his arm. And most of all, ashamed that he had gotten himself into this position and could not get himself out of it.

He cursed at himself, and struggled anew as shame fed his anger and gave him strength. He once again pushed against the body on top of him, this time more persistently than before, managing to put a couple inches between them.

"Get off!" he demanded. The Hollow snarled and moved back, but his relief was short lived.

"Ya never fucking give up, do ya!" he reached for his zanpakuto and pulled it out of his arm, causing Byakuya to cry out and blood to rush out anew from the wound. "Since ya wont stop tryin' to push me off, why dont I just wreck _both_ yer arms to fix that!"

Byakuya's eyes widened. His left limb was already going to take weeks to heal completely, perhaps months, because it was a Hollow's energy. If he sliced his other arm as well, Byakuya would be unable to fight and therefore, out of commission until he healed. In their current position, the loss of a Captain would hinder their efforts in cleaning up the mess that Aizen left behind.

The Hollow brought Zangetsu down and Byakuya had the fleeting thought that Kurosaki would never forgive himself, when the blade froze inches from his skin. The body above him fell forward and the hands slammed into the ground on either side of his head until he was staring into blinking brown eyes.

"What, Byakuya? What are you doing here?"

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_A/N: Yay another chapter done! Chapter 5 is also on the way and hopefully I'll finish this story this weekend. The first chapter was sitting on my computer for months and now I'm banging them out one by one...I wish I was like this with my school work -_-!_

_I have never written any sort of sexual scene before so if it sucks...sorry lol. _

_Anyway, __I really appreciate all the reviews so keep em coming!_

_Thanks to _BBQkitten_ and _froupin_ for several reviews :)) I dont know if this is quite what you were expecting but I hope you like it anyway! What do you think will happen next?_


	5. Chapter 5

The relief he felt was almost palpable as Kurosaki spoke but when he made no move to get up, in fact, he just went on staring, Byakuya frowned, both annoyed and embarrassed. "Kurosaki…where exactly do you think you are right now?"

Byakuya saw the teenager look around in confusion, turning back to him with his mouth open, poised to ask a question, before freezing. The captain felt his left eyebrow twitch as he struggled to keep the embarrassment off his face. Kurosaki jumping back like he'd been burned certainly didn't help matters. He felt himself flush, and internally cursing his pale complexion, plastered on a scowl.

"Wha-What's going on?" the boy stuttered, a bewildered look on his face. Byakuya felt several reiatsu's coming closer and made a swift decision.

"There is no time to explain, we need to leave _now_." Kurosaki stood up, still with that bewildered expression and...just stood there.

"Aren't you coming?" he questioned, frowning. Byakuya threw him a dirty look and wondered why he was even bothering to help the brat. They did not have time for the questions he knew the boy wanted to ask.

"If I was able to do so, I would already be on my way." His words were scathing and he glanced in the direction of the reiatsu's before looking back at Kurosaki. "We need to go! Grab the zanpakuto first," he amended as the orange-head stepped towards him.

"You better have a good explanation for this," Ichigo mumbled under his breath as he grabbed Zangetsu and Senbonzakura. He swallowed, pale, at the blood on his blade before strapping it to his back and slipping Senbonzakura into his belt.

Byakuya still hadn't moved as he turned back to him, still lying prone on the ground, bloody and half-naked. Was he that seriously injured?

Kurosaki knit his brows and his lips thinned, turning white but he said nothing else as he stepped forward and brought Byakuya to his feet, careful not to jostle him. He threw his uninjured arm over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Byakuya's waist, before asking which direction to go in.

_Ah_. Byakuya thought as their surroundings flew by. _This is why I'm helping him._

_xXxXxXXXXxxxXXXXXxxXXx_

Ichigo had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on. One minute he was in Karakura, the next he was in his Inner World and the next he's on top of an injured Byakuya who says they have to leave immediately.

He'd stood up without a thought, ready to head towards the city and some healers and waited for Byakuya to do the same. When he learned that the shinigmai couldn't move Ichigo had frowned, seriously worried because what the hell could have hurt Byakuya Kuchiki so much that he couldn't even stand?

Said man had looked worried himself, glancing in the direction of the incoming reiatsu's and apparently desperate to leave. Ichigo had wanted to argue, to demand answers but that quick, worried glance had him pushing his questions back and instead, doing as Byakuya asked.

He had felt the blood drain out of his face as he saw how much blood was on his zanpakuto, both congealed and fresh. He wiped it on his pant leg and strapped it to his back, quickly grabbing Senbonzakura as well. When he had turned back to Byakuya he'd felt anger wash over him and guilt plant itself firmly in his mind. He steeled himself and ignored his emotional state to help his injured friend.

Once they were on their feet, he asked what direction to go in since it seemed the Sixth Squad Captain wanted to avoid the incoming shinigami. He was only slightly surprised that they headed deeper into the forest.

Ichigo did his best to move fast without aggravating Byakuya's wounds. Of course, the man noticed (it would be hard not to, considering they were going embarrassingly slow compared to their normal speed) and ordered him to move faster. Ichigo obliged, speeding up a little, not wanting to get into an argument. He should have realized however, that Byakuya was not the kind of man who allowed himself to be babied, even if it was for his own good.

"Kurosaki, am I am so heavy that I impede your speed?" came the icy voice.

"Of course not!" Ichigo replied. Byakuya was a bit _too_ light in his opinion.

"Then you must be grievously injured," concluded that same cold voice.

"I'm fine," Ichigo huffed, rolling his eyes, wondering how much longer he could stretch out the conversation. He yelped as something viciously pulled at his ear.

"If I am not too heavy and you are not too hurt, then _why_ are you so slow?" Byakuya pulled his ear in time with his words to emphasize his point and clearly the conversation couldn't be stretched any further.

"Ow ow ow! Alright, alright," he scowled. "I get it!" He sped up quickly, their surroundings fading to a blur around them and Ichigo fought to keep the amused grin off his face.

He didn't want his ear to get pulled again after all.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"There's an entrance up ahead, hidden by the trees," Byakuya said. Ichigo looked forward but all he saw was a mountain. He was about to ask if they'd gotten lost somehow when something red caught his eye. He moved towards it, darting through the tree branches and before them was a set of large wooden doors that seemed to lead into the mountain.

The red paint was chipped and dirty and vines laced their way around it. It looked like it had never been used and Ichigo gave it a skeptic look.

"Bring me closer," came Byakuya's deep voice. "It will only recognize certain members of the Kuchiki Clan." Ichigo nodded and did as he was told, stopping a foot away from the door. He heard Byakuya take a deep breath and slowly, so very slowly, saw him raise his shaking arm. He didn't interfere or try to help, knowing that his efforts would only be spurned.

When Byakuya's hand finally made contact, the doors immediately slid open without a sound and they stepped inside. The doors behind them began to close and the light started to fade.

"The wall," Byakuya said and Ichigo obediently moved them to the wall, stopping closer than he had with the doors. It didn't really help though, it took just as long for the captain to touch the wall. As soon as he did, lights flickered to life all down the corridor, little blue balls of kido floating every few feet from each other to light the way.

"This was created a long time ago by my family, in the case of an emergency. It is connected to my lands in Seireitei and has emergency provisions and medical care scattered throughout it."

"Ok, so where's the nearest one?" Ichigo asked.

"The first right you see," was the reply. Ichigo raced forwards and only a minute or so later stumbled across an open space to his right. He carefully settled his charge against the wall and examined their temporary lodgings. There was a large kido light on the ceiling, casting everything in a shade of blue and rectangular holes in the walls that seemed to be stuffed with something.

He went to inspect them after stealing a glance at Byakuya. Assured he wasn't about to collapse, Ichigo turned back to the holes. There were medical supplies in some of them, bandages, anesthetic, disinfectant etc., there was food in others and yeah, that was probably rotten by now, and the rest were filled with clothes, blankets and water.

Ichigo grabbed a couple blankets, the medical supplies, and some water before heading back to Byakuya.

"So are you going to explain what the hell is going on now?" he questioned as he grabbed his arm and started to clean it. Byakuya stared at him for a few moments before asking,

"What do you remember?" Ichigo frowned because he didn't remember much of anything.

"I remember being back in Karakura Town and then being dragged into my Inner World. This is going to sting," he warned as he applied disinfectant to the cut. Byakuya's expression didn't change and Ichigo's lips quirked up, amused at his stubbornness. "When I came to again, I was back in that clearing with you," his smile disappeared as he remembered the damage to the area, and theirs being the only reiatsu around.

_This is my fault,_ he thought, dread and guilt overwhelming him. He finished dressing the brunette's arm and moved on to the smaller cuts along his torso and back as he waited for a response.

When he received none after finishing with all of Byakuya's cuts he paused, unsure of what to do next. He caught sight of the bloody cloths he'd discarded on the floor and wished Inoue was there instead.

"Why did we come here instead of heading to the Fourth Division?" he asked slowly, fearing the answer. When he got a reply Ichigo almost wished he could unask his question.

"Because you committed treason."

* * *

_A/N: So this chapter was a bit boring I think but its necessary so bear with me. The next one will probably have a lot of explanations as they both interrogate each other :)_

_Thanks so much for the reviews everybody! Keep 'em coming I love to hear from you!_

_**bwsifttcmhly**: Your reviews made me grin like the Cheshire cat and finish this chapter today instead of tomorrow :)_

_**froupin**: I totally agree with you! I hate OOC stories, or at least ones that have no reason at all to be OOC since sometimes it's necessary in the story.__There were no other captains in this chapter I'm afraid, and probably not in the next one either but there's a reason for that and they'll show up eventually._


	6. Chapter 6

Byakuya watched as Kurosaki paled considerably, his eyes wide.

"Wh-What do you mean 'treason'?" he stuttered. Byakuya considered how best to answer this and then mentally shrugged. He'd already dropped a bomb on the teenager, he may as well explain how damaging the explosion was.

"You attacked, not only several shinigami officers, but also a Captain of the Gotei 13," he explained. Kurosaki seemed to calm down at that.

"That's not such a big deal is it? I mean Kenpachi does that all the time and its not considered treason." That was true, Byakuya agreed in his head. Outloud he said,

"That is not the full extent of what you have done however," he paused and watched as Kurosaki blanched again. He ignored the little voice in his head that accused him of scaring the boy on purpose because his reactions were amusing. Such a thing would be beneath him, and even if it were true, Kurosaki deserved it, if not for his Hollow's actions then for not keeping the thing in control in the first place.

"Giving Hollows entrance to Seireitei is a serious offence, Kurosaki. Regardless of how or why, you failed to stop your Hollow from entering Seireitei and harming its inhabitants. You allowed it complete control," Byakuya hesitated. Kurosaki was staring at the ground, his head down and shoulders slumped. He looked defeated and Byakuya found he did not want to continue with his explanations. _Ridiculous_, he thought, but nonetheless, remained quiet.

"It sounds like there's something else," Kurosaki said softly, still staring at the ground. "What is it?"

Byakuya cleared his throat and his ridiculous hesitance. "Every being has some level of reiryoku that is unique to them," he began. "Those with high levels of it are able to disperse it into the air as reiatsu, use it as kido and use it to channel the power of their zanpakuto."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kurosaki asked, curious despite himself. Byakuya saw him glance up through his bangs, and though he was still slumped over, Byakuya relaxed minutely at seeing his eyes.

"I was getting to it," he said lightly. This was a difficult topic. "A body only recognizes one specific reiryoku, its own, although it can be sometimes made to accept another through an ancient ritual." He waited to see if Kurosaki would understand without further explanation but he sighed and continued when he only received a blank stare.

"A foreign reiryoku in someone's body is extremely dangerous. The body does not recognize it and so attacks it to try and expel the foreign reiryoku." Byakuya saw the moment Kurosaki understood, heard him suck in a breath, saw his eyes widen and his hands clench to fists. "In the meantime, the clashing of the two reiryoku's causes a multitude of problems in the host; pain and paralysis being the most evident."

The substitute shinigami made a strangled sound, like a wounded animal and Byakuya wondered at his sudden urge to soften the blow. He eyed the teenager across from him and decided not to mention that should the host be weaker than the attacker he would be burned up by the invading reiryoku. The fact that there had never been a case of hollow reiryoku invading a shinigami host also seemed like something to mention much later on.

"It is not all bad-" he tried but didn't finish as Kurosaki barked out a humorless laugh.

"What could possibly be _not_ bad about this?" he yelled.

"You did not kill anyone."

The orange-head seemed to deflate. "Things must be pretty bad if not killing anyone is the only good news," he muttered.

Byakuya couldn't help but agree but wisely refrained from doing so aloud. They spent several moments in silence as Kurosaki absorbed the situation. Byakuya had several questions of his own demanding answers, but for the moment he just wanted that blanket next to him. The wall was cold and damp and besides the bandages Kurosaki had used on his scrapes and cuts, there was nothing to protect his back from the chill.

He cursed the Hollow, blaming it for his lost top and this whole blasted situation.

Involuntarily, he thought of the Hollow and how it had...groped him. At some point, likely when he'd been lost in thought, the perverted thing had managed to tear his shirt off completely. There hadn't really been much to tear off at that point though, which might be why Byakuya had not noticed the change. The thought was still disconcerting; he should have noticed, no matter how detached from reality he'd been.

His back had gone numb where it came in contact with the wall and he glanced at the blanket again, trying to move his arm towards it without alerting Kurosaki, and only succeeding in shifting his fingers a few inches closer to it. He cursed the Hollow again and wondered how much his already battered pride would be bruised if he asked Kurosaki for help.

He opened his mouth to demand the blanket-if he had to ask for help he was going to do it his way-and...nothing came out. For some reason, Byakuya couldn't say it. His reluctance puzzled him, it was a simple thing to ask for and warmth would help his body diffuse the foreign reiryoku so they could leave sooner. He had endured greater embarrassment than something so straightforward-his earlier mauling came to mind-and he paused.

_Could that be why?_

He shied away from the thought, unwilling to think further on it and turned back to the blanket.

Even with his body mostly paralyzed and him actively suppressing it, Byakuya started to shiver minutely. Not yet enough to alert Kurosaki, but enough to have him trying for the blanket again.

Said blanket was suddenly covering his back and another was thrown over his legs. Byakuya stared in surprise as his body began to warm and fight the cold off. Kurosaki smirked at him, though his eyes were hardly amused.

"Yeah, you were that obvious about it." Byakuya glared, wanting to demand why he hadn't acted sooner if he had been so obvious, but unwilling to sound like a petulant child. "How long will you be like this?" Kurosaki asked.

Byakuya wasn't sure how much to tell. "I should be able to walk in several hours." He was only a touch surprised that his voice sounded so steady, as his back was still numb, and the rest of him still cold.

Kurosaki narrowed his eyes, apparently noticing what he had left out.

"When will you be back to normal?"

"A month or so." Fighting or even running would take at least a few days and his arm would not be usable for weeks.

Kurosaki's breath hitched and Byakuya saw guilt written plainly on his face. He decided to ignore it for the moment, not sure how to deal with it, and get his own answers first.

"Kurosaki, do you have any idea what caused your hollow to take control for so long?" Byakuya saw him tense slightly before relaxing and deduced that he _did_ know.

"Not really," Kurosaki said, trying for casual.

"From what I have seen, you use its power frequently without it taking complete control. The few times that such a thing has happened only lasted a short while. Am I wrong?"

"No."

Byakuya kept his eyes on him through the entire conversation, waiting for him to crack. "Then what was different this time?"

Kurosaki remained quiet, still refusing to look at him. After what felt like an hour of silence, in which Byakuya gained some control over his feet, he decided to switch tactics.

"What happened in your Inner World?"

* * *

_A/N: So! This took a while to get out and there's not much in it either...Sorry! It actually had more in it but I decided to cut the chapter in half because of reasons. Anyhow, I may not update as often because life has decided I've been lazy enough and has proceeded to kick me into shape. On the plus side, it looks like this story will reach the 10K mark! Sweet! (I think)_

_Thank you to everyone's reviews, they are truly appreciated. Honestly, the reviews are a big part of why I'm trying to update frequently, they keep my motivation from crashing through the floor so. Keep em coming! I love to hear what you all think! :)_


	7. Chapter 7

Ichigo watched as Byakuya glanced at the blanket again. He'd been amused at first, like watching a little kid try to refrain from asking for candy in a candy store, but his amusement had died a slow death, chipping apart bit by bit until all he felt was frustration, confusion and guilt. God, so much guilt.

Why didn't Byakuya just ask him to get the blanket? It wasn't that hard, dammit! All he had to do was say 'Give me the blanket' and it'd be over with. He'd never been shy of ordering him around before, so what was so different now?

Ichigo frowned, keeping his head down and watching surreptitiously from behind the bangs that fell over his eyes. He saw Byakuya open his mouth and held his breath, waiting. He felt his heart sink into his stomach as Byakuya shut his mouth, a puzzled look on his face. He couldn't even ask for a stupid blanket?

He bit his tongue so he wouldn't say anything stupid, and not for the first time wondered what the hell had happened while he was talking to Zangetsu. The captain was definitely hiding something from him and Ichigo was certain he didn't want to know but dammit, he fucking needed to. He looked up, and saw Byakuya reach for the blanket at his side, his fingers twitching closer to it.

Ichigo grabbed it and threw it over the prone man's shoulders, making sure it covered his back before grabbing another one and pulling it over his legs. The other man looked surprised, his eyes wider than normal and Ichigo pulled a smirk to his face.

"Yeah, you were that obvious about it," he joked. He let the smirk drop off as Byakuya glared and Ichigo noticed that his lips were slightly blue. He cursed at himself; he'd spent all that time watching Byakuya try and get the blanket instead of doing it himself and now the stubborn idiot was so cold his lips had turned blue.

Why hadn't he thought of this before dammit? Instead, he'd just watched as his friend silently became hypothermic. He cursed himself, his hollow and this whole damned situation. It took a huge effort to keep his face blank and his voice steady.

"How long will you be like this?" he asked first. Because this was his fault and he was going to fix it and if that meant being Byakuya's freaking nursemaid until he got better, so be it. He just needed to know how long he would be away so he could tell everyone back home later. Ichigo frowned as another question popped into his head. If he couldn't enter the city for fear of being arrested, how could he help Byakuya?

He added the worry to his growing list of them, and refocused on the brunette in front of him.

"I should be able to walk in several hours," Byakuya replied, but Ichigo saw his hesitation. Saw the answer for the omission it was and his nails bit the skin of his palms as he clenched his fists.

"And when will you be back to normal?" he asked more specifically, the look on his face daring the captain to lie.

Byakuya stared silently before answering, "A month or so."

A month. He'd brought down the 6th Squad's Captain for a month, with what were relatively small injuries compared to previous battles. God, he didn't even know what to say, and he was sure some of his emotions had leaked into his expression, try as he might to prevent it. He startled as Byakuya asked,

"Kurosaki, do you have any idea what caused your hollow to take control for so long?" Byakuya asked him and Ichigo tensed automatically at talk of his inner hollow.

"Not really," he answered, although it didn't sound believable even to his ears. He really didn't know though. But he _did_ have a hunch.

Of course, Byakuya was just as stubborn as he was and continued his questions even at the face of Ichigo's not-answers. "From what I have seen, you use its power frequently without it taking complete control. The few times that such a thing has happened only lasted a short while. Am I wrong?"

Ichigo considered him, surprised for some reason that Byakuya knew that. "No," he responded.

A lock of black hair fell onto his face, covering grey eyes that continued to stare, and something about it made Ichigo uneasy, though he couldn't place what it was. He turned his gaze to his lap, where his hands rested. They were covered in dried blood that he'd forgotten to clean after dressing Byakuya's wounds. He zoned out for a second, Byakuya's question not even registering, as he caught sight of Senbonzakura at his waist.

He didn't really know what had happened, or why, or even how really. And that burned at him. He had already decided to stay by his side until he was healthy again but Ichigo needed to know exactly what had happened. He couldn't let it happen again.

"-ened in your Inner World?"

He looked up and their eyes met, one gaze inquisitive, the other resolute.

"I want to know what happened, no matter how bad it was," Ichigo said, pausing to watch Byakuya's reaction. When he didn't give one Ichigo continued, "If you answer all of my questions I'll answer all of yours." _Because you clearly have as many as I do_, went unsaid.

Ichigo watched him carefully, for any sign of a change in that normally expressionless face of his. He saw Byakuya's eyes narrow slightly, his gaze intense, like he was truly considering his offer, but his eyebrow gave him away. Ichigo promptly went through his suggestion in his mind and amended it quickly as he saw the loophole.

"Of course, if you want me to tell you the truth you'll have to answer with the truth too."

Rather than looking annoyed like Ichigo was expecting, the captain looked more...impressed? Ichigo frowned. He'd never seen the man look impressed by anything, ever, and this wasn't really the best situation to be impressed by.

In fact, Ichigo didn't think he'd ever been able to read the man so well before and he frowned minutely. _Great,_ he thought, _more questions._

"Very well. However, we can choose to not answer two questions." Ichigo squinted at him. _So he has at least two things to hide._

"One question," he said, glaring. Byakuya glared right back before giving a small nod.

"Since I have already answered some of your questions, it is your turn to answer mine." _Isn't that what I've been doing?_ he thought to himself but nonetheless nodded for Byakuya to continue. "Why did you lose control?"

"I already told you I-"

"I believe it was your own condition to not lie," the captain interrupted. Ichigo scowled.

"Fine! I really don't know why, but probably because I...haven't been feeling-normal lately," he said haltingly. Byakuya raised an eyebrow and Ichigo looked away. "I've just been feeling sort of...listless," he continued, his shoulders slumping.

Ichigo felt awkward and uncomfortable and if not for his own need for answers he would have already ended the conversation. He glanced over at Byakuya whose eyes had a faraway look as he seemed to take in his explanation. That lock of hair fell onto his face again, hiding Byakuya's right eye from view.

Byakuya twitched his head and the black strands fell away from his face, revealing the dried blood on his forehead. It struck Ichigo then, what had bothered him about it before.

Byakuya was always immaculate in the care of his appearance. Even in a fight, rarely was his appearance so affected. It was strange seeing him messy and bloodied and then knowing that it was because of him…

Ichigo felt slightly sick as two thoughts struck him in tandem.

XxXxxXxXxXx

Byakuya thought back to the hollow's words.

_"No wonder he'd been so out of it."_

_"Didnt'cha wonder why I'm in control an' there's no flicker or anything of Ichigo?"_

_"He might as well die for all you care…"_

The words swam around in his head like waves, bouncing off each other, building and crashing and building again. Kurosaki's words appeared to confirm his Hollow's careless admission.

_"No wonder he'd been so out of it."_

It clearly had the answers he wanted but it had implied that this was somehow his fault. He had done nothing however, so how could that be?

_"He might as well die for all you care…"_

Byakuya shook its words off, pushing them back so they were not so distracting. The hollow had the answers they wanted, and Byakuya wondered if there was some way for Kurosaki to communicate with it.

"I was not aware that being bored constituted a loss of control," the shinigami finally said.

"Whatever. It's my turn." Byakuya frowned at the toneless voice. "What exactly did my Hollow do to you?"

Byakuya looked down his nose at him, "You want a play by play of the whole fight?"

"Yes."

The captain considered it. On the one hand he could lie, except that Kurosaki had somehow suddenly become adept at reading him and might not answer his next question truthfully.

On the other hand, he could skip this question and the grumpy teenager would know that something had happened during their fight. He wondered again if the boy could communicate with his hollow. In any case, whether he ultimately found out or not, Byakuya did not want to be the one detailing the…occurrence to him.

"I decline to answer."

Kurosaki blinked, surprised. He had clearly not been expecting him to use his only chance to refuse a question on something that seemed so simple.

_The simplest questions are usually the hardest to answer,_ he thought darkly. The orange-head let it go however, looking a little…scared? Byakuya ignored it; he was curious but unwilling to ask about it.

"You clearly did not know what was happening while you were in your Inner World; when the hollow came out before, were you aware of what was happening?" he asked instead.

Kurosaki frowned in thought, staring at nothing as he appeared to go through his memories. "Sometimes I was," he explained slowly. "Other times I didn't remember anything."

Byakuya waited for more details and glared when none were forthcoming. "Tha-"

"So!" Kurosaki cut him off, and if looks could kill Kurosaki would be ashes on the ground. "Why are we in here exactly?"

Byakuya blinked, thrown by the question. "You would prefer to be arrested for treason?"

"Well no, but I mean, we can't stay here forever and even after you're able to walk, I'll still have committed…treason, so…why are we here?"

"Why are you so concerned about it?" Byakuya asked without any real thought, still off balance from this line of questioning.

"You'd be better off with an actual healer instead of this place," Kurosaki answered bluntly. "And you still haven't answered my question."

"It is easier," he replied, before biting his tongue.

"_What's_ easier?"

"Everything."

Kurosaki gave him a curious look, scowling. "Is this how it's going to be? You give me vague answers that don't really make sense?"

"That is two questions, and it is my turn in any case."

"No, no it's not!" Kurosaki stood up, gesticulating wildly with his arms. "This isn't working; we're both too stubborn and impatient."

"So what would you suggest?" Byakuya demanded coolly as he pulled the blanket tighter around him.

His body was finally close to normal temperature again but outside the blanket felt so much colder than before. He had regained feeling in his right hand though, as well as control of his right forearm. His other arm felt practically nonexistent in comparison.

Byakuya checked the rest of his body as Kurosaki thought up some other game. Whatever he thought up, Byakuya would find some way around it. If he didn't want someone to know something, he was going to find a way to keep it hidden._ We are similar in that way,_ he thought, as he wiggled his toes.

"I don't know," Kurosaki sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I guess we'll just forget the game thing and just ask what's on our mind."

Byakuya raised a brow, "Is that not what we had been doing before?"

Kurosaki plopped down next to him, his body heat a tangible thing even with a foot of space between them. "Yeah, but I wasn't really paying attention before."

"I see," he said as he moved his feet from side to side. The range of movement was not considerable but it was existent.

"So are we in here because you don't want people to see you like this?"

The question threw him off-again-and he ended up speaking the truth. "Partially."

"What's the other part?" Kurosaki asked, twisting his head to look at him.

"Everything would be easier if I was able to walk myself into the Medical Division."

"Why?" he asked.

* * *

_A/N: Okay so this was supposed to be up weeks ago-I am **so** sorry about that! I know where this story is going but fleshing out the details is proving difficult. I have way too many ideas and they're sort of conflicting with each other and making it harder for me to write, which is also why the chapter ended so abruptly. I'm not really satisfied with it (actually the more I read the entire story the less I like it) but I decided to put it up before I completely scrapped the whole story. So yeah, sorry about that! The next chapter will hopefully be (better) up sooner._

_All the reviews are greatly appreciated and I'm trying to reply to them all now that I figured out how to do that :) I hope you all enjoy the chapter (boring as it is)!_


	8. Chapter 8

Byakuya shot him a quick look from the corner of his eyes before turning to stare at the far wall again. The kido's blue glow made it look like a screen of water, dark and deep and Byakuya wondered what would be at the bottom of it; if he could figure it out if he stared long enough.

"Byakuya?"

A hand landed on his blanket-enclosed shoulder and he shuddered. He had thought he was warming up but the heat of that hand made him realize how cold he still was. Gods he was freezing, how was he still able to move? He leaned into the warmth, wishing he could burrow into it and, as if sensing his thoughts, it spread to cover his shoulders.

Byakuya sighed, content and finally warm. A soft chuckle made its way to his ears and it brought him back to his childhood; to his fathers low chuckle when he showed off his new skills and his mothers constant, bright laugh, to Yoruichi's annoying snigger after she'd pissed him off. Byakuya smiled.

He brought his hand up to pull the warmth closer to him, to stretch it out over his body, only to have his brief moment of contentment shattered as his arm trembled with the effort of defying gravity. His eyes snapped open—when had he closed them?—and he looked up to see Kurosaki staring down at him, his cheeks a light pink.

He was horrified to note that he was gaping, his mouth open like a dead fish and he snapped it shut as soon as he realized it. The rest of his expression was harder to blank out and he felt the beginnings of panic as he could not maintain his usual neutral expression.

"Sorry, I uh, didn't mean to wake you," Kurosaki mumbled next to him, his left hand coming up to rub the back of his neck.

"How long was I sleeping?" Byakuya demanded, still trying to wipe the emotion off his face. He failed. Horribly, if the concern in Kurosaki's eyes was anything to go by.

"Not long, maybe ten minutes."

"Why did you let me sleep?" he asked, anger making his tone sharp.

"I thought you would heal quicker that way," Kurosaki defended, and he was right, but that only served to make Byakuya angrier.

The teenager looked baffled and Byakuya sympathized; he had no idea why he was so angry, he just knew that he was. He also knew that it was irrational, and he tamped down on it viciously, reduced to taking deep breaths to calm down. It reminded him of when he first learned to control his emotions, many decades ago, and how difficult it had been not to act on his impulses.

"Are you alright?" Kurosaki asked, his brows knitted.

"I'm fine!" he snapped, still not calmed. How had his control regressed to such a point, he wondered madly.

"Why are you so angry?" came the bewildered question.

"Because this is your fault!" he exploded. Kurosaki jumped back, surprised, and his arm dislodged from its position on Byakuya's shoulders. The captain felt the loss of it like a missing limb. Worse, even, since he had experience with paralyzed limbs and it was never so obvious and so cold as this sudden nothingness.

His anger fizzed out of existence and he desperately wanted that warmth back, even had his mouth open to demand it, but Kurosaki cut him off before he said a word. Byakuya was torn between being grateful and frustrated at the interruption.

"I'm sorry," Kurosaki said, his voice thick with grief, "I'm sorry. I know it's my fault," he kept his gaze focused on the far wall as he spoke. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again and I'll help you with anything—with everything—until you heal and even after I guess, just…I need to know what happened."

He finally looked back at him and Byakuya felt his shoulders throb where the warmth had been, at the fire he saw in Kurosaki's eyes.

"I know there's something you don't want to tell me, but please, I need to know," he implored.

"I◙—" what could he say to that really? He felt chilled to the bone and if it would make him warm again what was so wrong about telling Kurosaki about the Hollow and—his mind rebelled at the memory and Byakuya shuddered. "I cannot."

"Dammit why?" Kurosaki yelled, standing up to pace. "What could be so bad that you—_shit_."

His rant died abruptly and Byakuya blinked, confused as to why. Kurosaki knelt down next to him and brought his palm to his forehead.

"Shit!" he yelped. "You're freezing!" He rushed to a hole in the walls and brought more blankets out. "Why didn't you _say_ something?"

Byakuya kept quiet as the orange-head continued to fuss about him, wrapping him in blankets like a baby. He should be annoyed, but Byakuya found it amusing and the brief instances of actual warmth when Kurosaki touched him were enough to keep the cold at bay, and him uncomplaining.

It took him a moment to realize that Kurosaki was mumbling curses under his breath. Byakuya cocked a brow up.

"Did you just call me a masochistic dollop-head?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed without hesitation. "And a moronic idiot to boot, do you _want_ to freeze to death?"

Recognizing the question for the worry it was, Byakuya refrained from answering. Instead, he brought his hand slowly out of the cocoon of blankets and pulled at Kurosaki's ear when it was close enough, as one would a misbehaving child. "If you add any more blankets you are going to smother me to death."

Just that brief touch warmed his whole arm, liquid fire flowing into his bloodstream from Kurosaki's ear to his fingertips and Byakuya felt an indescribable emptiness when he pulled his hand back. He bit his tongue until he tasted blood at the immediate urge to reach out and touch again. This was ridiculous.

Kurosaki sat back grumbling, but there was a faint smile on his face. It was quickly replaced by a grim line however, and a glance up showed matching eyes.

"You won't tell me what happened?" he asked again. The question offered a distraction that Byakuya readily grasped.

"No." On this, he was firm. He waited for more questions but instead, Kurosaki gave him a sharp nod before grabbing his zanpakuto and bringing it to his lap. He closed his eyes and Byakuya watched with mounting panic as his breathing evened out.

_Dear lord,_ he thought as he recognized the position, _he's going to speak to his Hollow._

He barked out a humorless laugh, and scrambled for his control. _That answers that question,_ he thought, his gaze riveted on the still shinigami.

XxXxXxXxXx

Ichigo found himself falling through empty space and twisted around to get his legs under him. He caught a glimpse of blue before water enveloped him. He freaked out, trying to swim to the surface before remembering that he could breathe here, water or not.

He took a deep breath. And then another. Once he had calmed his racing heart, Ichigo called out for Zangetsu.

"I know you're here! I want to talk to you before I wipe the floor with that Hollow."

"What is it you wish to talk about Ichigo?" The voice came from behind him and Ichigo mentally rolled his eyes; Zangetsu really had a thing about sneaking up on people.

The thought brought with it images of the old man popping up at the weirdest times: in class, at home, when he was out with the gang…Ichigo snorted. Zangetsu popping up while he ate dinner was both funny and creepy.

He shook his head and brought his mind back to the situation at hand. He felt a little embarrassed as he locked gazes with Zangetsu but put it behind him when he remembered why he was there.

"Did you know what was happening out there, while we were talking in here earlier?" he demanded.

Zangetsu shook his head with a mournful expression, "Up until a certain point he was intentionally blocking me out."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "What point?"

Zangetsu stared back at him as he answered, his voice low and calm. "The point at which he was so angry and frustrated that he forgot completely to obstruct my view. This happened twice."

"And did you do anything at those points?" he asked, trying to rein in his temper; it wasn't Zangetsu's fault. Mostly anyway.

"I was unable to do anything at the first point; he threw up a barrier almost immediately. The second time, he didn't realize he'd dropped his guard and I stopped his next blow and threw you back into consciousness, pulling him back here at the same moment."

Ichigo frowned as he thought back to the river and his sudden entrance into his Inner World, his short conversation with Zangetsu and then waking up in that field much later on. He'd never realized how much of a time difference there was between his Inner World and everything else, but there it was.

He adjusted his grip on his sword, widening his stance. "Where is he?"

"Right here!" came the shout behind him, seconds before a Getsuga-Tensho flew past his head, creating visible shock-waves in the water. "That was a freebie!"

Ichigo sneered, his anger and frustration rising up in a tidal wave as he caught sight of his smug mirror image. "I don't need your charity," he spat, releasing his own Getsuga-Tensho in a sharp swing.

"So testy," his mirror image mocked as it sidestepped his blast. It released one of its own, and disappeared from sight. Ichigo spun around after dodging, searching for it and brought his blade up to parry just as the Hollow struck from above.

"Bankai!" it yelled and Ichigo had only a moment to release his own bankai before he was thrown back hard. He crashed into a building, creating a massive hole in it, cracks spreading and widening from it.

Ichigo pushed off from it, bringing the whole building down behind him as he rocketed back to the Hollow. He stopped a couple feet away and glared at his grinning opponent.

"Oi, I have something I want to ask you," he stated as he searched for an opening in its defenses. The Hollow smirked.

"Oh? An what would ya wanna ask little ol' me?" It lifted its blade to rest on its shoulders as it spoke and Ichigo took the opportunity to attack.

He saw it frown right before they clashed, an explosion disturbing the water as their reiatsu's met. Ichigo let loose a Getsuga-Tensho, but the Hollow had anticipated that and flew back out of the way. It looked ready to complain but Ichigo broke him off before he could begin.

"What did you do to Byakuya?" he asked, through his glare. The Hollow looked caught off guard, blinking twice before grinning smugly.

"Are ya jealous?"

Its weapon was resting on its shoulders but Ichigo knew it was wary and waiting for his attacks. He had to think differently to beat it; be more creative than usual.

"Jealous of what?"

"Oh? He didn't tell you?" it raised a brow at him in mock surprise.

"Tell me what?" _Dammit why doesn't anyone give me a straight answer?_

It was odd, to see his own face laugh at him, hear his voice distorted in a dark cackle. Ichigo didn't think he would ever get used to it as the sense of foreboding that he had been carrying since he awoke in that field, multiplied exponentially.

"Well," it laughed between breaths. "Let's just say me an' him got a _lot_ closer." It paused to shoot him a grin that was all teeth and mockery. "You could say I...pounded," it paused to leer, "some _sense_ into him."

Its tone of voice made the words sound absolutely filthy and Ichigo was frozen helpless as it finished. "He makes the most _interesting_ sounds, ya know."

Ichigo went pale. Was the Hollow saying that it had—but no. It couldn't possibly have...Ichigo couldn't even think the words. He felt sick, guilt and disgust and a million other emotions clawing at him, making him light-headed, his body demanding to be freed of them. _Can you even throw up in your Inner World? _he thought right before he doubled over and puked.

The stench of bile made it's way to his nostrils and Ichigo breathed through his mouth instead. He gagged as that made it so much worse, he could_ taste_ the acrid bile he'd thrown up. He panted hard, as if he'd run a marathon in his human body and wondered why the Hollow hadn't taken the opportunity to attack him.

Ichigo's stomach clenched as he fought to cease his dry-heaving, his body having run out of bile to vomit up. He had the insane thought that he'd been breathing in his throw up, being in water and all, and the notion set off another bout of violent retching.

A hand squeezed his shoulder and Ichigo looked up, his eyes wide and his chest expanding with every heaving breath he took. Zangetsu stood before him, the older one, he realized with a start, apparently having dropped the bankai in his shock. Zangetsu didn't say a word, just squeezed his shoulder all the harder, as if trying to physically push his thoughts and reassurances into Ichigo.

Ichigo used the steady weight to ground himself, to force some thought into his brain and some questions out of his abused throat.

"Did—" he broke off, his voice hoarse, before taking a deep breath and clearing his throat. "Did it—" He still couldn't say it but that was alright because Zangetsu was already shaking his head in the negative. Ichigo let out a breath his body slumped over in his relief, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He took a moment to just breathe again, before he had to speak and to listen.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. There, not so hard_. He snorted._ Right._

He braced his hand on his knee and pulled himself up to stand beside Zangetsu. The Hollow was nowhere to be found and neither was the mess he'd have expected after throwing up what little had been in his stomach. Ichigo honed in on the former thought.

"Where did the Hollow go?"

"We are one."

The statement sounded ominous in its finality, like Zangetsu meant more than that he'd absorbed the Hollow as he'd done before, but that didn't bear thinking about. Not at that moment.

"Do you know what he did, now that you're _one_?" Ichigo didn't mean to sound mocking but he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from apologizing for it. Zangetsu gave him a _look_ before nodding.

Ichigo took a deep breath, bracing himself for anything. It might not have...done _that_ to Byakuya, but whatever it _had_ done could've been just as bad.

"Tell me."

* * *

_A/N: Hello! I apologize for not getting this up sooner, but what with classes, work and Sandy I've been rather busy ( I am also procrastinating now because I hate this class and this essay ha fml). I feel better about this chapter (and the next one) so I hope you all enjoy reading it! Looks like Ichigo's finally gonna get some answers. How do you think he'll react? I love to hear everyone's opinions and your reviews really do help so keep them up (pretty please?)!_


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